(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a humidifier for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an eco-humidifier for a vehicle which is configured such that metallic nano particles that sink in water absorb rays of the sun by using a surface Plasmon resonance phenomenon to perform a humidifying function without separate power.
(b) Description of the Related Art
An air conditioner of a vehicle which is used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of an interior of the vehicle is used to provide a more comfortable environment to a driver by maintaining a temperature of the vehicle in an appropriate state regardless of a change in external temperature.
The air conditioner is constituted by a compressor compressing refrigerant, a condenser condensing and liquefying the compressed refrigerant, a thermal expansion valve (TXV) thermally expanding the liquefied refrigerant and making the thermally expanded refrigerant into low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, and an evaporator evaporating the expanded refrigerant. In respective stages, the refrigerant exists in different phases of high-temperature and high-pressure gas, room-temperature and high-pressure liquid, low-temperature and low-pressure liquid, and low-temperature and low-pressure gas.
However, in the air conditioner in the related art, when a heater is operated for a long time, moisture in the vehicle is continuously evaporated by a high temperature, and as a result, the inside of the vehicle is dried and a passenger may experience discomfort or dryness of the skin.
Therefore, a technology in which a humidifier is installed in the vehicle has been pursued, but since a space capable of storing humidifying water is limited and an ultrasonic oscillator is required to oscillate water and convert the oscillated water into vapor, and since a humidifying action is performed only in heating, it is impossible to continuously maintain appropriate humidity, and production costs may be prohibitive.
Meanwhile, in recent years, due to increasing concern about climate change, there is a trend of increased interest in new regeneration energy technology across industrial fields including vehicle development, and research into utilization of solar energy in vehicles has been pursued.
Nevertheless, technological development of an interior environment of the vehicle is limited, and research into an apparatus that actively applies the new regeneration energy to the vehicle is incomplete.
Accordingly, the need for a humidifier for a vehicle which can actively utilize solar energy while providing a comfortable riding environment to the driver by preventing the inside of the vehicle from being dried is acute.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.